


This is how it goes

by butterflybooks



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2018-01-01 05:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1041065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflybooks/pseuds/butterflybooks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are stories that shape up the world. Aurora knows them. In none of them is she meant to think of Mulan above all others.</p><p>A look at the stories we tell ourselves. And how we can change them (or not).</p>
            </blockquote>





	This is how it goes

This is how the story goes.

A Princess is cursed and falls asleep for a hundred years. She is awoken by her Prince. The Prince has a Knight with him, but the Knight is not important. Only she is. She’s the most important thing and-

No. She can do this.

This is how the story goes.

A Princess has to save her Prince, times being what they are and all. She has to bring him back to life. She does this. They do this.

Only, along the way…

This is how the story goes.

A Princess and a Prince live happily ever after. They are expecting a baby that is making her happier than she has ever felt.

And she does not think of a woman in armour. And her heart does not break when she leaves. And she does not feel her absence like a phantom limb.

This is how the stories go.

Princesses fall in love with Princes. Or a stable hand if they’re feeling rebellious. They do not fall in love with warriors. They do not fall in love with girls.

They do not fall in love with girls.

But here is how this story could go.

Aurora realises that Mulan makes her heart feel dizzy in a way that Phillip never has. She cares for him, and she feels bad when she breaks his heart. Perhaps she agonizes for days over it. Perhaps she does it quickly, like ripping off a band aid (if she knew what a band aid was). His face crumbles, and he is bewildered. She explains as much as she know to put into words, and he is still bewildered. She leaves the child with him. She still makes her happier than she has ever been. But she will come back and for now there is someone she needs to find.

She treks through the woods with no real plan. It takes days that turn into weeks that come ever so close to turning into months. Tens of torn dresses, brambles in her hair, but she finds her.

And she explains.

And Mulan does not quite believe her at first, but then she does. And she lifts her Princess off the ground and, quite suddenly, everything falls into place. 

Mulan leaves the Merry Men, and they go back to the palace. Phillip is still bewildered, but he is not hostile. They all have a daughter – of a kind.

And they live happily ever after.

(But here is how this story will probably go.

Aurora will never realise quite what her feelings are towards Mulan. She will go on with her quiet, steady affection to Phillip and her beaming, sunshine love for her daughter. She will be happy. And if her heart aches sometimes without obvious cause. Well. No happily ever after is entirely happy.

Mulan will be broken-hearted for a while, but she is quite used to that, thank you very much. She will find her band of brothers, and she will be happy – mostly. She will find meaning in her life in other ways. She’ll help people, protect them. She will only let herself be broken-hearted when there is no one left to save. And if she sometimes cries at night. Well. No one needs to know.

And they will live almost happily ever after.

Because Princesses don’t fall in love with girls.)

**Author's Note:**

> Can you tell I don't actually watch this show anymore and was inspired by youtube clips? No? Good. I may need to catch up if this pairing becomes canon though :). I will also settle for polyamory with Phillip. See, options OUAT people.


End file.
